Clock Ticking for G8 Breakthrough on Africa

Posted: 6 July 2005

Oxfam calls on G8 to deliver significant aid and trade reform package.

The world’s richest nations can make poverty history in Africa – if they choose to.

If they choose to, the leaders of the United States, United Kingdom, France, Canada, Japan, Russia, Germany and Italy can:

•   Prevent millions of children from dying from treatable diseases
•   Reform trade laws so people in poor nations can earn a living wage
•   Cancel debts owed by the poorest nations
•   Help fight AIDS

And they can do all of this at the G8 meeting. By agreeing to a combination of debt relief, reformed trade rules and humanitarian aid for Africa, the G8 nations can provide the peoples and nations of Africa with a brighter future. And the world expects them to.

Millions watched and attended the Live 8 concerts last weekend, showing their support for making NOW the moment to end poverty in Africa. And thousands of activists from all over the world, including the US, have converged on Scotland to make their voices heard and to ensure a significant commitment from G8 countries on Africa. But prospects for such a commitment are still up in the air.

"Never before has the language of the G8 communiqué been still so contested at this late stage in the game," said Oxfam America's Director of Policy Chad Dobson in Edinburgh. "Many have descended on Scotland from around the world to encourage leaders to make poverty history, but there is no sign of that historic breakthrough so far."

Oxfam has called on G8 leaders to agree to an additional $50 billion a year in aid to poor countries—with $25 billion for Africa—effective immediately. Delaying these aid increases until 2010, as is currently proposed, would leave a $100 billion black hole in aid budgets, consigning 500 million more people to poverty. Oxfam also called on the G8 countries to reach the UN target of spending 0.7 percent of their national income on aid by 2010 at the latest, a promise made by developed countries 35 years ago.

"The US should be a leader in this movement, as Americans are a generous people and care about these issues," said Dobson. "While France is in the lead, saying they will reach the 0.7 target by 2012, followed by the UK with 2013, and Germany and Italy with 2015, the US, along with Canada and Japan, are nowhere near."

This can be a historic G8 summit. But only if the G8 leaders choose to make poverty history.

For more information, contact Laura Rusu at: +202 459 3739 or +44 7795 628278